Last week, the Billings Gazette reported that the air quality permit for the Roundup Power Project was rejected by Katherine Orr, a hearing officer with the Montana Board of Environmental Review.  According to Orr, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) improperly extended an air quality permit for the coal project located at Bull Mountain.  On its face, it looks like DEQ made a minor mistake that turned into a major problem for the Roundup Power Project. 

However, the rumors floating around Helena paint a much different picture.  Apparently, DEQ did not want to extend the expired air quality permit; they wanted to start the permit process from the beginning.  The story goes that the governor intervened in order to get the project expedited.  Only after pressure directly from the Governor's office did DEQ dust off the old permit, which was eventually rejected.